... Main Street has been very desolate for a long time. There has been absolutely no commercial presence here. We're one of the very few...
... Trellis has been the only diner on Main Street Roosevelt Island for the last 17 years. I started working at Trellis when I was about 15 years old.
When you are the only diner, every family event, every union of the Islanders, comes to the diner. You become a part of their lives. ... You're not just a business any more, You're part of the Island....
...There is no comparison to what we were and what we will be. Different exteriors, different interiors, different managerial tactics, There will be different food. The sky's the limit. There's nothing to hold us back but our imagination.
My prediction of Main Street is we're going to turn into Manhattan. We're going to be a small Manhattan. It won't be anywhere near as busy but there's alot of changes happening to Roosevelt Island. If you haven't been here, you should come.
... Hal Shapiro, managing director of Winick Realty Group, which does retail leasing, said the problem is that many people don’t really know the island. He needs to explain things about it, such as its beautiful scenery with open space and parks, its population and economic increase and in the past years with finished new residential buildings, and its potential growth since Cornell is coming. And most importantly, he pointed out, that the island is underserved. He said, now he is talking with three potential tenants—a Thai restaurant, a daycare center, and a bank, asking for 50 dollars per square feet.
“Things are happening,” said Shapiro. Saks-Rosenberg agrees. Five years ago the Main Street Retail Study said that Roosevelt Island residents do just 12% of their shopping on the Island, she said, “and now people start to really shop on the island and go to the stores, which was not the case two years ago. ”
However, many residents are still used to their off-the-Main-Street shopping habits. Rachelle Sumersford orders from Fresh Direct online, Fidel Lakew walks across the bridge to the Costco in Queens and gets a cab back, and Dorothy Jefferies goes to Fairway and Agata on Manhattan Island by public transportation....
... Kaie Razaghi and his son Alex come to the island every day from Astoria to work on the renovation of Trellis Diner. He was excited and proud of what he is doing. “We are gonna provide a restaurant dining experience,” said Razaghi. “Now I only have three different burgers. I will have eight when I open up. When I say eight, I don’t mean eight beef burgers with different toppings; I mean eight different meats!”
Razaghi hopes people will come to the Main Street for what he is doing—the modern design of the storefront, the new menu, and the dining experience. “I haven’t been making money for the past two years. It’s either take the money and go buy somewhere else, or put the money in, and take a chance. I put the money in here, and take a chance.”...
Marena Wisniewski is a student at Columbia's Graduate School Of Architecture. I met her earlier this week at Starbucks and had a brief conversation about Roosevelt Island. Ms Wisniewski reports:
We are currently in the middle of trying to gather responses to a quick poll about the island, similar to the questions I asked you at Starbucks. However, as fun as it would be to ride the tram all day asking people questions(which I did on Monday morning) it's not very effective.
Ms. Wisniewski adds:
We are first years in Columbia's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation in the Historic Preservation Program. As part of the curriculum, we are assigned an area in New York City to research and come up with some idea of what preservation means to that specific place.
For our group, we have decided to craft a preservation plan for the island, and believe that resident input is of critical importance. The responses will be used to help evaluate significance of the buildings on the island, and what perhaps should be pointed out as historically significant, or what kinds of transportation/infrastructure could be employed to make the lives of RI's citizens better. Citizen input is really going to influence how we will proceed with a plan, and what sort of things we will include in it.
We would really love to hear just exactly what islanders want for the future of their island.
Image by Columbia University Transportation Study Group
A Green Roof Garden for Roosevelt Island's ugly and sterile Motorgate Parking Garage together with a Pedestrian friendly ground floor retail corridor and more attractive Farmers Market Space are among the recommendations made by the Columbia University Urban Planning team that will be presenting their ideas tonight at 7:30 in the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street). I have seen an earlier version of their presentation that had many interesting ideas and it is well worth taking the time to attend tonight's meeting.
Image by Columbia University Transportation Study Group
Columbia University Grad Students Presenting Transportation Study to R.I. Community Thursday at 7:30.
Graduate students of Columbia University will brief Roosevelt Islanders on their study of the Island's transportation this Thursday night (April 16) at 7:30 in the Good Shepherd Community Center.
A limited number of residents who have had a preview call the students' work comprehensive and imaginative. It is strongly visualized and packed with facts about traffic, ridership, subway capabilities, destination data, and much more.
Led by Dr. Floyd Lapp, an adjunct professor of planning, the students considered a wide variety of transportation options and alternatives for the Island. A preview of their presentation indicates that the study has addressed issues like reconfiguration of Main Street traffic and the possibility of mixed use of the "channel" between Main Street buildings, pedestrian access to theQueensboro Bridge, a reworking of street-parking and Motorgate rates to free up Main Street parking, a long-term program of gradually discouraging use of cars, reduction of Main Street traffic signage, and measures to eliminate the bunching of red buses that leaves extended periods without service at rush hour.
The presentation will begin at 7:30 in the Good Shepherd Community Center, Thursday night at 7:30.
Image by Columbia University Transportation Study Group
One of the ideas that I hope the Columbia students addressed was the feasibility of having Car Free Days on Roosevelt Island as this Daily News article reported will be returning to Williamsburg and other NYC neighborhoods this summer.
...Civic and business associations in Williamsburg and Brooklyn Heights have applied for city permits to repeat last year's successful projects that limited car traffic to through streets along a several-block stretch of two shopping corridors....
And:
... Last year's car-free weekend permits also were in effect in Jackson Heights, Queens and along Park Ave. and Lafayette St. in Manhattan. The Transportation Department did not reveal which other Brooklyn streets permits were requested for this year. "We are in the process of reviewing applications from communities across the five boroughs seeking to hold car-free events this summer," a Transportation Department spokesman said....
As we all know, developing innovative ideas is a great intellectual exercise, the challenge is to find ways to have them implemented in the real world if appropriate.
UPDATE - 6/17 - The NY Times has more on green roofs and urban farming:
... City dwellers have long cultivated pots of tomatoes on top of their buildings. But farming in the sky is a fairly recent development in the green roof movement, in which owners have been encouraged to replace blacktop with plants, often just carpets of succulents, to cut down on storm runoff, insulate buildings and moderate urban heat.
A survey by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, which represents companies that create green roofs, found the number of projects its members had worked on in the United States grew by more than 35 percent last year. In total, the green roofs installed last year cover 6 million to 10 million square feet, the group said....
One of the Columbia University urban planning students participating in the Roosevelt Island Transportation Study was conducting a traffic count in front of the Motorgate ramp to the Roosevelt Island Bridge on a cold Tuesday afternoon. Last May, Roosevelt Island Public Safety Director Keith Guerra told me that the Department of Transportation was going to conduct a traffic study to determine if a street light was warranted for the Motorgate Ramp intersection. I don't know what happened with that DOT study but I am glad that the Columbia students are investigating the issue as part of the overall Roosevelt Island Transportation study.
More on the Columbia University Roosevelt Island Transportation Study from a RIOC press release published in the 1/17/09 Main Street WIRE:
"As Roosevelt Island residents know all too well, the community has evolved during the past 40 years from the much heralded and highly innovative ¡®new town in town' concept of the 1960's. Formative concepts such as a ¡®traffic-free' environment and battery-operated ¡®minibuses' have given way to practicalities, budget realities and a growing population. A fresh look is needed at the impact of present and future growth.
"The Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture's Urban Planning program will focus on recommendations to improve access within, to and from the Island by looking at all the various transportation modes. Improving pedestrian and bicycle access will be evaluated especially since an early aspect of the design of Roosevelt Island was to have an auto-free community. Journey to work access will be evaluated by looking at all available and potential modes: bus, tram, subway, vehicular circulation, potential ferry and even perhaps new and innovative approaches that are not yet even on the radar screen."
RIOC's Community Relations Specialist Erica Wilder sends the message below to all members of the Roosevelt Island community regarding a study and Town Hall Meeting on Roosevelt Island Transportation Alternatives undertaken by the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning. The Town Hall Meeting will take place on Thursday night (7:15 PM) January 22 at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street) All forms of Roosevelt Island transportation options will be addressed including the subway, tram, cars, Red Bus, Ferries and maybe even some that have not been considered yet.
Although being flung across the East River looks like fun, I don't think that The Roosevelt Island Sling Shot is ready for public use - at least not yet!
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CITY PLANNING PROGRAM TO LEAD AN ANALYSIS OF TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES FOR ROOSEVELT ISLAND
As Roosevelt Island residents know all too well, the community has evolved during the past 40 years from the much heralded and highly innovative “new town in town” concept of the 1960’s. Formative concepts such as a “traffic free” environment and battery operated “mini buses” have given way to practicalities, budget realities and a growing population. A fresh look is needed at the impact of present and future growth.
The Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture’s Urban Planning program will focus on recommendations to improve access within, to and from the Island by looking at all the various transportation modes. Improving pedestrian and bicycle access will be evaluated especially since an early aspect of the design of Roosevelt Island was to have an auto free community. Journey to work access will be evaluated by looking at all available and potential modes: bus, tram, subway, vehicular circulation, potential ferry and even perhaps new and innovative approaches that are not yet even on the radar screen.
Eleven students led by Dr. Floyd Lapp, FAICP, an adjunct professor of planning at Columbia, will work on the project starting now and into the first half of May. Dr. Lapp, an urban planning practitioner with 45 years experience, asserts that this will not be just an academic exercise. The team will reach out to the community and appropriate agencies and organizations seeking realistic and practical solutions. Toward that end, a community meeting will be held in the Good Shepherd Community Center on Thursday, January 22, at 7:15 to describe the proposed project in greater detail and seek suggestions from those persons who live and work on Roosevelt Island. “If this project is to be a success, community participation is essential from the start and throughout the process,” Lapp said. A final report will be presented to the client, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, in May. This Columbia Graduate School of Architecture Urban Planning transportation initiative arose as a result of discussions with RIOC resident Board Member, Jonathan Kalkin.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE ROOSEVELT ISLAND OPERATING CORPORATION, INVITES YOU TO A COMMUNITY MEETING TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES WITHIN, TO AND FROM THE ISLAND TO EASE CONGESTION, SAVE TIME AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE
Thursday, January 22, 2009 @ 7:15 @ the Good Shepherd Community Center.
RIRA Common Council Delegate and recently elected RIOC Director Jonathan Kalkin is responsible for this innovative initiative to address one of Roosevelt Island's most pressing needs. Good job Jon!
UPDATE - 1/22 - Jon Kalkin provides some background on this initiative:
Almost two years ago I contacted the Dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Urban Planning and Architecture. I looked at the many problems of the island as a resident as thought it would be a great thing for any university to study. My hope is that it would be free and I would find the right team. The Dean was kind enough to refer me to Dr. Lapp, whose background, skills, and experience in both the public sector, academia and the private sector were perfect for this type of study. RIOC agreed to be the client and things have been going very smoothly.
We have a range of problems from overcrowding subways to an unreliable red bus. In addition, we have new areas of transportation like ferry service that need to be studied. We need to take the suggestions of the community, coupled with the expertise of this team, and make real changes in the way we travel.
The goal of this study is to bring light to past ideas that may work, and to bring new ideas to the board and the community. The problem in the past is there have been a lot of good common sense ideas introduced, but they haven't been tested. As a member of the operations committee, I want to see these suggestions tested and made a reality. The most important thing to remember is that Dr. Lapp has extensive ties to city government and can help us publicize this problem to not only the board, but outside agencies, and government officials. We need a concerted effort from all of them to see real change.
The red bus is one of the things that we can tackle quickly and can make a real dent in the problem. Other aspects of the transportation problem may take more time and influence outside of Roosevelt Island, but the red bus can get people to the station in a quick and more reliable manner. One idea that I have pushed is to have access for all of Roosevelt Island to the GPS antennas that are currently being installed on each of the red buses by the Octagon's management. I have fought for the idea that this is not only a great idea for the Octagon, but the rest of the island. This way you could see at the station when the next bus is arriving and where it is currently on the island. Other ideas are a possible RIOC card like we have right now, but a plastic one that holds more value than a dollar. Our current system works with these kind of cards and could help us utilize this data to see what the real ridership is. It may make us more efficient as well. Many have argued that the Octagon express is empty later in the rush period, but without a study these complaints are unheard. These are the things we need to examine. Other ideas like foot access to the bridge and subway changes are something that need to brought to the city's attention. The technology is there, the ideas are there, but we need to make them a reality. I believe this study will make that possible.
Again, great work by Mr. Kalkin but this is only the beginning. If Roosevelt Island residents truly want to improve their transportation options we need to get behind and help with this initiative as well as the Access RI study and survey.
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
